Friday, July 31, 2015

A long trip chasing Bucket List Dreamsseemed like a great idea,but it has wreaked havoc on my blogging.It's 1:23 am on June 23, 2015and I'm reposting the nextin a series of my earliest Lansdowne Lettersfrom 4/13/13:Indoctrination was the purpose of my father's trip to Sault Ste. Mariebefore he departed for Lansdowne Housein the Northern Ontario bush.

In September 1960,the Education Division of the Indian Affairs Branchof the Department of Citizenship and Immigrationheld a one-day course to introduce novice teachers to their assignmentsbefore sending them to remote areas in the north.Dad later wrote of this introductionin an undated paper called The Northern School Teacherin the summer of 1965 or 1966:Far from being encouraging and informative,the introduction I received in my orientation coursewas a veritable nightmare of half-truths, outright falsehoods, rumors,and misrepresentation of facts which,instead of being informative, helpful, and reassuring,left me so mixed up, frustrated, and apprehensivethat I almost resigned there and thenand returned home.

My father quickly connected withtwo fellow Islanders to spend the orientation day with,Preston MacAskil from Charlottetownand Frances Rooney from Vernon River,Prince Edward Island.After a disheartening day, Dad returned to the Windsor Hotel to write letters to his Sally and his mother.

Well,I have been finding out some things about my new home.I believe I will be teaching all grades from primary to grade 6.

A lot of the primary children will be learning English for the first time.

I will have between 20 and 30 pupils, I think. The Indians belong to the Ojibway tribe, with some Crees. (This will all have to be confirmed later.)

There is another interesting feature.If I stay with the Catholic teacherat the Catholic Mission,I will be living on an island in Lake Attawapiskat. The Protestant school,the Hudson Bay Post, and the Department of Transport Meteorological Stationare on the mainland.The island is about 50 yards from shore,and I will have to go to and from the island by canoe.Rental for the canoe will be paid forby the Department of Indian Affairs.

I have another alternative.The Protestant Padre at Fort Hope,who is also the teacher thereand who commutes to Lansdowne Houseon a hit or miss basis about once a month,told me I could live at the Forestry building,but that I would be alone there.I don't think I could stand that.However, all this will be settled when I get in,and I will tell you all about it. There is no resident Protestant Padre at Lansdowne House.There are two Catholic priests (I think),the manager of the Husdon Bay Store and his wife,two clerks (don't know if they are married),two Department of Transportation men and their families,a nurse, and a sizable Indian reservation.Well I must sign off for now.I don't know my mailing address as yet,but when I do,I will let you know so you can write to me.Bye now, Darling.I am very lonesome for you.Give my love to the children.Don

Letter to Sally: September 7, 1960

Give My Love to the Children

Louise in an Apple Tree in Grammie's Back Yard, Smith's Cove, Fall 1959

Friday, July 24, 2015

Back again with another repostof my earliest northern posts.It was a couple of months beforeI could tackle Human Refuse 3,but I did so on February 1, 2013.I'll be home and publishing new material soon.Yay!

It was just happenstance that my family landed in the North. In the summer of 1960 my father was planning to return to Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, to pursue his Bachelor of Education.

He was hired almost immediately; and, although he jokingly liked to think that his speedy acceptance was due to his qualifications, my father knew that it was largely because of how desperate the Indian Affairs Branch was for teachers at that time. It was an offer too good to resist.On the day my father left, the letters began - letters that have come to me for safe-keeping. The first I have was written by my mother to my father's mother, Myrtle Jane (Pratt) MacBeath, on September 4, 1960.When I touch these faded pages, I feel my mother’s presence and her unwavering love, not just for me, but also for her husband, children, and extended family. These letters are among my most precious possessions.

I'm trying to imagine what it was like for my parents that last evening before my father left.

Dad was heading into isolation, and Mom was staying in Nova Scotia with five children aged one to ten.

My parents had no idea how long they would be apart; but, they faced separation and difficulty in the hope of improving their financial circumstances.

They shared a dream that all five of their children would go to university; and, not just any university, but Acadia University, their alma mater. At that time and place, university was a given for a son. But four girls? That was considered a waste of good money.

There was so much unspoken in the words my mother wrote the day my father left Smith’s Cove for Halifax, Charlottetown, and on to Ontario:I imagine Don will be on his way North when you receive this.We certainly hated to see him goand are lonely already without him ...

Don and I spent last evening with Grammy at Aunt Nan's. It was a beautiful night, and we watched the sea in the moonlight and enjoyed the fireplace.

I had to wait 2 hours & 30 minutes in Moncton, 55 minutes in Montreal, & 3 hours in Toronto. Then when I arrived in Sault Ste. Marie, I had another unpleasant surprise. There is no airport in Canadian Sault Ste. Marie. We landed in Michigan at a USAF base & had to drive by bus to our hotel. What with waiting for ferries etc., it took 1 1/2 hours to get from the plane to the hotel – just about as long as it took to get from Toronto to Sault St. Marie.

I would appreciate any constructive criticism.Is it interesting?Appropriate length and details? Helpful visuals?I hope, as I get into the storythat you, kind readers,will find the North as compelling as my family and I did.Thank you for your support as I go through this process.Much further along in the journey,I appreciate your support and encouragement even more!